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I N T E R - A M E R I C A N D I A L O G U E

Race ReportConstitutional Provisions and Legal Actions

Related to Discrimination and Afro-Descendant Populations in Latin America*

In Latin America, racial inequality is pervasive and takes many forms. Over the past dozenyears, several countries—most notably Brazil and Colombia—have adopted laws thataddress some of the problems confronting Afro-descendant populations, including racialdiscrimination, land rights, and social inequality. Laws are clearly not enough, but withoutlegal instruments that guarantee political, economic and social inclusion, the struggle forequality will not succeed.

* Tianna Paschel collaborated in writing the analysis. Tara Collier assisted in research.

continued on page 3

INTER-AMERICAN DIALOGUEAugust 2004 – Race Report

2

Letter from the Director

The Inter-Agency Consultation on Race in Latin America (IAC) has accomplisheda lot over the past year, and it gives me great pleasure to release the second racereport of the Inter-American Dialogue. As in the previous report, we call attentionto a specific issue. This time we showcase legislation that affects Afro-descendantsin Latin America and the Caribbean, and discuss the international conventions andaccords that governments have signed regarding racism, racial discrimination andsocial exclusion.

The IAC has not only increased coordination among itsmember institutions, but has also improved its ability todevelop ad hoc partnerships for specific events andenlarged its audience of policy makers and experts.

I am proud to announce the launch of the IAC website, which has catalyzed communication with the IAC’smany constituencies. The web site was also instrumentalin preparing our workshop that took place in La Ceiba,Honduras, February 1 to 4, 2004. We were able toassemble over 160 Afro-Latin civil society activists fromthroughout the hemisphere, which was the largestgathering of Afro-Latins since the historical preparatoryregional meeting for the World Conference AgainstRacism held in Santiago, Chile.

In addition to our public events, the IAC has held regular meetings with itsmembers to share information on their activities and programs in Afro-Latincommunities and identify possible areas of cooperation. The meetings also serve asa mechanism for the participating organizations to be informed of the IACSecretariat’s work and shape its agenda.

As we move forward, we will attempt to further expand the quality and reach ofour work. I believe this to be a fundamental task for the improvement of livingconditions of Afro-descendant communities throughout the hemisphere.

Luiz BarcelosDirector Inter-American Dialogue Race Program and IAC

www.iac-race.org

The map on page 1 identifies thescope of anti-discrimination legislationtargeted at Afro-descendant populations inLatin America. The comparison suffersin that there is no clear-cut criterion forcomparing countries that have uniquedemographic compositions.

The constitutions of all countries in theregion guarantee equality for their citizens.However, these universal policies have notbeen effective in addressing the problem ofracial inequality. Almost all countries inLatin America and the Caribbean havesigned the UN’s 1965 international Con-vention on the Elimination of RacialDiscrimination (CERD), yet the actualimplementation of the convention has beensporadic over the last 40 years and thedegree of success has varied. Even countriesthat have submitted the CERD report havenot necessarily implemented policies thateffectively address the problems of racialdiscrimination. In other instances, civilsociety organizations have submittedreports to the CERD committee, even inthe absence of an official report by theirrespective government. Recently, the 2001UN World Conference Against Racism,Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia andRelated Intolerance in Durban, SouthAfrica, set the stage for a new wave of ini-tiatives aiming to achieve racial equality inLatin America.

Certain countries have taken the lead inaddressing racial discrimination, while oth-ers are lagging behind. Some countrieshave laid significant juridical groundworknecessary to begin dealing with racism anddiscrimination. Recently, many countrieshave made amendments to their constitu-tions to include clearer references to themulticultural character of the state as wellas stronger anti-discrimination laws. Still,

many such amendments are merely sym-bolic. They recognize the universal rightsof historically marginalized populationsbut do not include mechanisms to guaran-tee such rights.

Colombia is the only country to date toassign seats in the House of Representa-tives to Afro-Colombian representativesand was the first country in Latin Americato approve comprehensive legislation toimprove the situation of people of Africandescent. Passed in 1993 with the goal of protecting the socioeconomic, political,and cultural rights of Afro-Colombians,Federal Law 70 acknowledged collectiveland rights for Afro-Colombian communities.It also established that Afro-Colombianhistory would be a mandatory part of theschool curriculum at both the primary andsecondary levels. This ambitious and tar-geted legislation is noteworthy for its reachand focus, but cites no official entity tomonitor its implementation.

Brazil also has developed many initia-tives, including an amendment to the 1988Constitution that outlaws racist acts. How-ever, experts have criticized this initiativefor its harsh punishment, which includeslong jail terms and no bail, leading to itsinfrequent enforcement. The governmenthas also enacted legislation granting landrights to traditional rural communities ofquilombos—descendants of runawayslaves—which has permitted some com-munities to obtain their land titles. In early2003 Brazil also passed legislation thatrequires schools to teach Afro-Brazilianhistory. Brazil has recently introducedaffirmative action programs, including theuse of quotas in the public university sys-tem. Many state and municipal legislatureshave taken similar initiatives.

INTER-AMERICAN DIALOGUEAugust 2004 – Race Report 3

“Universal

policies have not been

effective in addressing

the problem of racial

inequality.”


4

“Some countries

with significant

Afro-descendant

populations have failed

to advance policies

that address racial

discrimination. ”

Some governments have created agenciesto promote racial equality. Created inBrazil in 1988, the Palmares Foundationwas the first federal agency directed specif-ically to serve the needs of Afro-Brazilians.In 2003, Brazil established the Ministry for the Promotion of Racial Equality(SEPPIR) charged with combating racismand advancing racial equality. Althoughthis ministry has less authority than tradi-tional ministries and considerable financiallimitations, it is the strongest officialmechanism to address the needs of Afro-descendants in the region. Although theseadvances are closely linked to Lula’sadministration, the strong Brazilian mobi-lization to participate in the DurbanConference helped set the stage for chang-ing the political landscape to advance racialequality in the country.

The Program of Support for IndigenousPeoples and Blacks of Honduras is anotherexample of government efforts to promoteequality. A similar mechanism was estab-lished in Peru with the creation of aNational Commission on Andean,Amazonic and Afro-Peruvian Peoples(CONAPA). However, these governmentalagencies do not have the legal authority orresources to effectively combat or monitorracial discrimination or inequality.

Argentina and Mexico are interestingcases. Neither country officially collectsdata on its relatively small populations ofAfrican descent, but both countries havestrong anti-discrimination legislation thatapplies to all groups. In 1995, the Argen-tine government established the NationalInstitute against Discrimination, Xeno-phobia, and Racism (INADI), and in 2003Mexican President Vicente Fox signed ananti-discrimination law that mandated thecreation of the National Council for thePrevention of Discrimination, although ithas yet to begin operation. Both initiatives,

although not explicitly directed at Afro-descendants, established a juridicalframework and monitoring mechanismthat could be useful to the Afro-descen-dant populations in these countries.

Some countries with significant Afro-descendant populations such as Panamaand Venezuela, or the Dominican Republicwith an Afro-descendant majority, havefailed to advance policies addressed atracial discrimination. In other countries,such as Colombia and Honduras, impor-tant legislative initiatives have not beenfully implemented. And, in places likeCosta Rica and Peru, bills have been presented to national congresses but have not yet been voted on. The very comprehensive Brazilian Statute on RacialEquality, which includes provisions on landtitling, affirmative action policies for education, targeted health programs, andother areas of interest to Afro-Brazilians,is still pending approval.

Racial discrimination permeates institu-tions and social practices across the region;however, no country in Latin America has laws promoting segregation or otherforms of discrimination. Indeed, most constitutionally recognize the rights ofAfro-descendants and other groups. Still,people of African descent rarely enjoy fullprotection of their rights. They lack politi-cal representation and equal opportunity.Even specific laws and other legal protec-tions are poorly enforced. Nonetheless, astrong legal framework provides an essen-tial foundation for ending discriminationand achieving racial equality.

The following chart identifies constitu-tional provisions, ordinary legislation, andother acts, such as presidential decrees, thatdeal with racial and ethnic discriminationand racial equality.


6

“The Dialogue

launched The Black

Américas, a publication

that reports on

current events related

to Afro-Latins. ”

The following is a summary of activitiesorganized by the Inter-Agency Consulta-tion on Race in Latin America (IAC) andthe Inter-American Dialogue Race Pro-gram over the past year. Established inJune 2000, the IAC is a group of interna-tional development institutions that areworking to address issues of race discrimi-nation, social exclusion, and otherproblems relating to Afro-descendantpopulations in Latin America. The coremembers of the IAC are the World Bank,the Inter-American Development Bank(IDB), the Inter-American Foundation(IAF), the British Department for Inter-national Development, the Pan-AmericanHealth Organization, the Ford Founda-tion, and the OAS Commission onHuman Rights. With the Inter-AmericanDialogue serving as its Secretariat, theIAC was designed as a mechanism for itsparticipants to share information andanalyses about the situation of LatinAmericans of African descent; ensure thatmember institutions are well informedabout each others’ programs and plans;bring greater national and regional atten-tion to the special problems of Afro-LatinAmericans; conduct joint activities ofmutual interest; and maintain a dialoguewith Afro-Latin American leaders andinstitutions in the region. The IAC wasalso intended to serve as an independentsource of new information, analysis, andideas on issues affecting Afro-LatinAmericans.

Throughout the year, we sponsored aseries of events on Afro-descendantissues—public forums, private discussions,congressional member and staff briefings,press sessions, and academic conferences—

Working with Our Constituencies on Afro-Descendant Issues

in Washington and in the region. Thesebrought attention to the challenges of racerelations and discrimination in LatinAmerica, informed U.S. policymakers andother officials dealing with Latin Americanaffairs about these challenges, and gaveAfro-Latin American leaders the opportu-nity to engage with their U.S. counterparts.The meetings focused on a variety ofthemes, including the integration of raceinto economic development, the likelyimpact of new affirmative action policies inBrazil and elsewhere, and the special situa-tion of Afro-Colombians in the country’swar zones.

Working with the U.S. Congress andAfro-Latin Legislators

In 2003, the Inter-American DialogueRace Program held regular working meet-ings with the Congressional Black Caucus(CBC) to discuss the work of the Dia-logue, IAC participating institutions, andthe CBC and to identify areas of collabo-ration. The Dialogue has been called onto brief congressional staff on race issuesand to facilitate meetings of visiting Afro-Latin leaders with members of Congressand their staff. The Dialogue has alsolaunched The Black Americas, a publicationthat reports on current events about or ofinterest to Afro-Latins.

In February 2003, House ConcurrentResolution 47, “CommemoratingAfricans’ Descendants in the Americas,”was introduced to the U.S. Congress. Thislegislation was originally co-sponsored byCongresspersons Charles Rangel, WilliamJefferson, Donald Payne, Barbara Lee, andGregory Meeks.


U.S. House Concurrent Resolution 47

Acknowledging African descendants of the transatlantic slave trade in all of the Americaswith an emphasis on those descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean, recognizingthe injustices suffered by these African descendants, and recommending that the UnitedStates and the international community work to improve the situation of Afro-descendantcommunities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Whereas during Black History Month it is important that we not forget that African-Americans are not the only survivors of the transatlantic slave trade;

. . . Whereas the story of African descendants in all of the Americas remains untold, lead-ing them to be forgotten, made invisible, and allowed to suffer unjustly;

. . .Whereas Afro-descendants encounter problems of access to healthcare, basic education,potable water, housing, land titles, credit, equal justice and representation under the law,political representation and other economic, political, health, and basic human rights; andWhereas skin color and ancestry have lead African-Americans in the United States andAfrican descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean to share similar injustices, leadingto economic, social, health, and political inequalities:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),that Congress

(1) recognizes and honors African descendants in the Americas for their contributions tothe economic, social, and cultural fabric of the countries in the Americas, particularly inLatin American and Caribbean societies;(2) recognizes that as a result of their skin color and ancestry, African descendants in theAmericas have wrongfully experienced economic, social, and political injustices;(3) urges the President to take appropriate measures to encourage the celebration andremembrance of the achievements of African descendants in the Americas and a resolutionof injustices suffered by African descendants in the Americas;(4) the United States and the international community should work to ensure that extremepoverty is eradicated, universal education is achieved, quality healthcare is made available,sustainable environmental resources, including land where applicable, is provided, and equalaccess to justice and representation under the law is granted in Afro-descendant communi-ties in Latin America and the Caribbean; and(5) the United States and the international community should achieve these goals in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean by(A) promoting research that focuses on identifying and eradicating racial disparities in eco-nomic, political, and social spheres; (B) promoting, funding, and creating development pro-grams that focus on Afro-descendant communities; (C) providing technical support andtraining to Afro-descendant advocacy groups that work to uphold basic human rights in theregion; (D) promoting the creation of an international working group that focuses on prob-lems of communities of Afro-descendants in the Americas; and (E) promoting trade andother bilateral and multilateral agreements that take into account the needs of Afro-descen-dant communities.


8

“The social

exclusion of men and

women of African

descent is mirrored

by their absence from

political power.”

First Meeting of Afro-Descendant Legislators of the Americas and the Caribbean

It would be hard to overestimate the his-torical significance of the First Meeting ofAfro-Descendant Legislators of the Amer-icas and the Caribbean, held November 21to 23 in the House of Representatives inBrasilia. For the first time, Afro-descen-dant legislators with mandates at thenational level united to advance the causeof democracy and equality, especially withregard to race and gender. In addition tolegislators from Brazil and six other LatinAmerican countries, participants includedmembers of the Brazilian Congress, stateand city legislators and leaders of socialmovements and civil society organizations.

Close to 200 people from eight LatinAmerican countries (Brazil, Uruguay, Peru,Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Ricaand Panama) and the United States partic-ipated in the event.

A fundamental principle of democracy isthe representation of all sectors of societyin political leadership positions. However,the exclusion of men and women ofAfrican descent from the top tiers of soci-ety is mirrored by their absence frompolitical power.

The Brasilia Declaration synthesizesthe concerns of black legislators, civilsociety leaders and specialists on develop-ment with the goal of improving thedemocratic institutions to guarantee

We recognize the path of our ancestors, the commitments assumed by our governmentswith our people and communities contained in the Declarations and Plans of Action ofSantiago and Durban.

We recognize that we are in the land of Zumbi of Palmares, ancestral hero who ledstruggles of liberation from slavery and who should serve as a model of inspiration forthe Afro-Brazilian community as well as for all Afro-descendants in the Diaspora.

Considering that:

The Afro-Descendant people and communities have contributed enormously to the construction of all American and Caribbean societies;

In the Americas and in the Caribbean, there cannot be true democracy without theinclusion of Afro-Descendant men and women;

We Afro-Descendants account for more than 150 million in the Americas and theCaribbean, the majority of which live in poverty, a situation disproportionately affectingAfro-descendant women;

Our governments have signed the Declarations of Durban and Santiago, although themajority of them have not fulfilled the commitments assumed by these declarations;

Brasilia Declaration


“Afro-descendant

legislators noted that

the implementation

of policies must still

be improved. ”

representation of all sectors of society inthe debates about the future.

Improving social conditions andencouraging participation of Afro-descen-dants in the economic and politicalprocesses is a fundamental part of creatinga just society. It is important to note thateven though social exclusion based onrace and gender may not be legal, it per-sists today.

It is not simply that Afro-descendantsand women do not participate in eco-nomic development—because in fact theydo—but that Afro-descendants andwomen do not benefit, or only benefitmarginally from economic development.

Participants recognized legislation suchas the Statute for Racial Equality inBrazil and the 1993 Law 70 of Colombia,as legal advances toward combating racialand gender inequalities. But they alsonoted that the effective implementation ofthese policies must still be improved.

Participants committed to comingtogether again in Second Meeting ofAfro-descendant Legislators and decidedto create an Internet site that collects,stores and disseminates informationregarding the actions taken by the Afro-descendant legislators. Participants arguedthat developing partnerships with nationaland international NGOs is a key factor inachieving the proposed objectives.

continued on page 10

We Afro-Descendants are scarcely represented in the government, particularly inCongress and Parliament; hence we must double our efforts and our work. This lack ofrepresentation has an even greater effect on Afro-descendant women;

The efforts aimed at including our people and our communities should consist of bothuniversal and targeted policies. On the one hand, general policies to eradicate poverty inour countries that embody gender and ethno-racial perspectives should be promoted, onthe other, public policy and legislation that specifically target Afro-descendant popula-tions must also be promoted;

Our countries are immersed in a process of integration through agreements such asMERCOSUR, PACTO ANDINO, CARICOM, SICA. One of the most importantexpressions of this process is in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in whichthe general situation of exclusion of wide sectors of the population is not present, espe-cially in light of the historic neglect of our people and communities. Thus, as Afro-Descendants legislators, we should participate in this important debate in which theregional legislators have been practically absent;

Brazil is on the brink of approving the Statute for Racial Equality, which represents aqualitative and historic jump in terms of addressing the socioeconomic conditions ofAfro-Brazilians;


10

“We commit

to a new form of

policy making based

on respect for and

inclusion of Afro-

descendants.”

Colombia, as well as other countries, has promoted legislative and constitutional reforms thatpromote the inclusion of Afro-Descendants. However, we do not have mechanisms for theexchange of experiences on this legislation or public policy originating from them;

Substantive programs of cooperation or strong international relations do not existbetween countries in Africa and the countries of our region. Brazil is taking importantsteps towards this goal;

The preservation of religions of African origin is a fundamental premise in the reaffirma-tion of the identity and culture of Afro-Descendants.

We commit to:

Drive a new form of policymaking based on respect for and inclusion of Afro-descendantmen and women and all historically excluded people;

Create a working group of Afro-Descendant legislators of the Americas for the promo-tion and construction of an Afro-Descendant Parliament of the Americas and Network ofAfro-Descendant Legislators;

Demand that the legislators of the Americas maintain active participation in the politicalcontrol and in the debate of negotiations with FTAA, in which we will participate inorder to incorporate the vision and the perspective of Afro-Descendant communities;

Demand that our governments fortify the regional blocks and promote popular consulta-tion regarding FTAA in order to make decisions that truly consider the situation of themajority and not just one small segment of the population;

Actively participate in discussions leading to social, economic and fiscal reforms,including in them the development of legislative proposals that promote racial and gender equality;

Promote affirmative action legislation and policies based upon the Statute of RacialEquality of Brazil and Law 70 of Colombia, among others;

Promote among the Congress and Parliament of our respective countries the necessity todeepen the horizontal cooperation efforts between Latin America, the Caribbean andAfrica, which contribute to social, economic and cultural development for the countries ofboth continents;

Brasilia Declaration continued


“We will dedicate

ourselves to making

these demands part

of the political

agendas of our

countries.”

Elaborate a joint publication that refers to legislation and public policy in favor of Afro-Descendants as a tool for regional development;

Open an information portal on the Internet that increases the visibility of the actionsand the proposals of the Afro-Descendant legislators, as well as posts information aboutpolicies and legislation;

Participate as Afro-Descendant legislators in the Summit of the Americas and in theIbero-American Summit, which will occur in 2004;

Demand that our governments designate financial and human resources for the imple-mentation of the Santiago and Durban agreements, especially those related to the Afro-Descendant people and communities and that the governments guarantee aprocess of evaluation in the Santiago +5 Conference;

Demand that the Brazilian National Congress approve the Statute of Racial Equality,guaranteeing financial resources for its implementation, which should serve as a bench-mark for the countries of Latin America;

Demand that the Congress of Ecuador discuss and approve the project about collectiverights of the Afro-Ecuadorians. By the same token, we demand that all congresses of the region that have pending legislation in favor of their Afro-Descendant populationsdiscuss and approve them;

Organize the Second Meeting of Afro-Descendant Legislators of the Americas and theCaribbean in Colombia in 2004.

The First Conference of Afro-Descendant Legislators of the Americas and theCaribbean poses itself as an important element in the international political articulationof Afro-Descendants in the region. It does so in order to give the racial issue in thecontinent the necessary visibility for the rupture of the ideology of subjugation that stillmaintains more than 150 million people of African descent in exclusion.

The set of commitments signed in Brasilia revolves around the social insertion, thedefense and preservation of the culture and tradition of Afro-Descendants in theAmericas. In this context, we will dedicate ourselves to making the demands, repressedfor centuries by material, spiritual and symbolic exploitation and debilitation, part of thepolitical agenda of our countries, in order to ensure the well being of our peoples.

Câmara dos DeputadosBrasilia, November 23, 2003


12

“The Millennium

Development Goals

could serve as

benchmarks to

measure the

progress of racial

and ethnic

groups.”

Race and Development

The IAC and the Women’s Leadership Con-ference of the Americas co-sponsored theseminar “Gender and Race in Latin Amer-ica: Looking at Public Policy, PoliticalParticipation, and Social Development.”During the one-day seminar, scholars andpractitioners reviewed the debate on genderand race issues in Latin America and ana-lyzed the trajectories of both socialmovements and their implications for thepolitical participation and social developmentof the two groups. This conference was partof an effort to create a bridge between thewomen’s and Afro-descendants’ movementsin the region and was organized with theunderstanding that the movement for raceequality can learn from the successes and fail-ures of the movement for gender equality.

On October 6, 2003, the IAC organizeda one-day conference to discuss the Millen-nium Development Goals (MDGs), as theyrelate to issues of ethnic and racial inequal-ity in Latin America. The conferencebrought together delegates from leadingdevelopment organizations, both membersand non-members of the IAC, to identifypotential areas of cooperation. The MDGscould serve as benchmarks to measure theprogress of racial and ethnic groups.

Four key themes were addressed duringthe conference: 1) Latin American gov-ernments and their efforts to leverage and monitor the MDGs; 2) data collec-tion and methods of measuring progresstoward achieving the MDGs; 3) genderand the MDGs; and 4) the impact of theMDGs on development agendas.

The aim of the discussion was to iden-tify how race- and ethnic-sensitive actionscould be integrated into country-level

policies and into interventions intendedto achieve the MDGs.

The discussion focused on strategies tomake sure issues of race and ethnic equal-ity were included in the MDGs. Threekey areas of cooperation among develop-ment agencies and governments weredefined: research and methodology, tech-nical assistance for governments, and theincorporation of Afro-Latins in theMDG process.

Addressing Racial Inequalities: The Affirmative Action Debate

Following the UN Montevideo workshopon Affirmative Action for Afro-descen-dants in Latin America, on June 23, theIAC hosted an exchange on social inclu-sion and political participation, sponsoredby the IDB. Panelists were Gastón Chill-ier of the International Human RightsLaw Group, Ariel Dulitsky of the Inter-American Commission on HumanRights, Wanda Engel Aduan of the IDB,Roy Guevara of Afro-America XXI, andMaura Nasly Mosquera of the Foundationfor the Formation of Afro-ColombianLeaders. IAC director Luiz Barcelos andIDB Social Development Division chiefMayra Buvinic opened the session, andClaire Nelson of the IDB moderated.

Panelists agreed that the World Con-ference on Racism in Durban was acritical achievement because it marked thefirst time racism and social exclusion wererecognized in an international forum assignificant problems. At the same time,panelists warned that recognition wasonly one step towards securing socialinclusion of Afro-descendants. Theimplementation and enforcement ofnational legislation reflecting interna-


“Racial Equality

Minister Matilde

Ribeiro of Brazil plans

to promote the quota

system in federal

universities during

her term.”

tional norms are also essential. Panelistsrecognized the social and political resis-tance to affirmative action, and pointedout that public opinion must be trans-formed to achieve social inclusion.

In 2003, the Dialogue Race Programsponsored various meetings on Braziliangovernment policy and programs intendedto address the inequalities confronting the country’s Afro-descendants. On January 28, we hosted four prominentAfro-Brazilian activists, who describedthe nature of race relations in Braziliansociety and presented key demands ontheir agenda. Their requested needsincluded a school curriculum thatacknowledges the contributions of Afro-Brazilians, affirmative action policies inhigher education, and the implementationof programs promoting racial equality inthe labor market. At the end of the ses-sion, Reverend Jesse Jackson joined thegroup for a discussion on race issues inthe United States and Brazil.

On July 29, we held a meeting to com-pare the affirmative action discourse inBrazil and the United States, in light ofthe recent U.S. Supreme Court decisionto uphold affirmative action principles.Robert Cottrol, of the George Washing-ton University School of Law, laid out theimplications of the decision and arguedthat such principles would only beapplicable in Brazil once its societyacknowledged that racism existed. Paulode Almeida, minister counselor at theEmbassy of Brazil, noted that, whileBrazil is a true melting pot in which allraces are mixed, there is de facto discrimi-nation because Afro-descendants haveunequal opportunities. Hilary Shelton,director of the NAACP WashingtonBureau, pointed out that blacks are as

easily identifiable in Brazil as in theUnited States and are often targeted bypolice. Thus it is not only important tooutlaw discrimination—as has beendone in Brazil and in the United Statessince the Civil Rights Act of 1964—butalso necessary to actively promote integra-tion, which is the express purpose ofaffirmative action.

We hosted Matilde Ribeiro, the newlyappointed minister of racial equality ofBrazil on October 15. She explained thatthe ministry has planned three mainactivities for the next four years: theimplementation of a quota system in fed-eral universities, the defense of the rightsof quilombo communities, and thestrengthening of partnerships with Africaand South America. Commenting on herpresentation, Weldon Rougeau, presidentof the Congressional Black Caucus Foun-dation, highlighted his organization’scommitment to consolidating partner-ships with Afro-descendant communities.

On November 12, 2003, we hostedEdward Telles, professor of sociology atthe University of California at Los Ange-les and author of Race in Another America,a book on racial inequalities in Brazil.Franklin Knight of Johns Hopkins Uni-versity and Shelton Davis of the WorldBank joined the discussion.Telles argued in favor of affirmative action programs, while acknowledging the difficulties of implementing them.Knight noted that a large percentage ofBrazilians have been marginalized fromeconomic and political development.Davis concluded by asserting that in orderto promote race-conscious policies, it isnecessary to show that reducing racialinequality is beneficial to all Brazilians.


14

“Afro-Colombian

mayors testified

to a history of

state neglect.”

Addressing Afro-Colombian Issues

The IAC hosted a breakfast discussion on February 13 with Claudia Mosquera,editor of Afro-Descendants in the Americas:Social Trajectories and Identities, OscarGamboa of Colombia’s Association ofBlack Mayors, and Michael Shifter of theDialogue. Mosquera summarized herbook and highlighted the links betweenhistorical memory, civil rights, and publicpolicies. The book discusses how enslavedAfricans and their descendants developedsurvival strategies, examines the construc-tion of a collective identity, and points outthe ways in which history and identityinform the discourse on rights.

On April 22, Afro-Colombian municipalmayors Maria Edis Dinas, ArnulfoMostacilla, Antonio Sarria Misas, andOscar Gamboa participated in a discussionon the poverty and social conditions of thePacific Coast of Colombia and on thedestruction the armed conflict has caused.

Participants testified to the history of stateneglect and making Afro-Colombiansinvisible. They acknowledged the progressmade by the constitution of 1991, whichformally recognizes racial and ethnicgroups. They were positive about theNational Plan for Development of Afro-Colombian Populations (1998–2002), butnoted that little has been done to imple-ment the plan.

The IAC and International PossibilitiesUnlimited hosted a meeting with officialsfrom Colombian universities and MorganState University on August 12. The pur-pose was to facilitate partnership betweenMorgan State University and the Univer-sidad Santiago de Cali. Participants werepleased with the prospect of academic andcommunity exchange programs and dis-cussed possible funding opportunities andways to organize their proposals. The par-ticipants suggested measures to ensure thecontinuation of the exchange.

Core MembersBritish Department for International Development

Ford Foundation

Inter-American Development Bank

Inter-American Dialogue

Inter-American Foundation

OAS Commission on Human Rights

Pan-American Health Organization

World Bank


“President

Maduro announced

that he would create a

commission to improve

the living conditions

of Afro-descendant

Hondurans.”The African Diaspora Meetsin Honduras

. . . Events such as the one we arehaving today, remind us that there aremany afflicted people who nonethelesshave hope in the future of our Ameri-can societies. We are more than 180million men and women of Africandescent that populate this continent;we are an extraordinary force withenormous possibilities of participationin the major political, economic andcultural decisions that occur not only inthe Americas, but in the entire world.

. . . This event surely will give us thetechnical tools to facilitate our workand maximize the results; however, wemust never forget that the major workmust be to orient the reinstatement ofpolitical, economic, social and culturalrights of our communities. In thissense, we call to the leadership presenthere not to give up the opportunityto define the urgent actions thatdirectly relate to the realities of ourcommunities.

. . . From the homeland of Morazán,Lempira and Walumgu, we open ourarms and hearts and welcome you broth-ers and sisters with our fraternal love.

Excerpt from speech delivered byCeleo Álvarez Casildo, president of ODECO

IAC 2004 Meeting: Workshop on Leadership and Socioeconomic Development

In cooperation with the Organización deDesarrollo Etnico Comunitario (ODECO),the IAC held its fourth annual meeting onFebruary 1 to 4 in La Ceiba, Honduras, todiscuss local development of Afro-descen-dant populations in a workshop entitled“Leadership and Socioeconomic Develop-ment for Communities of African Descent inLatin America and the Caribbean.” The par-ticipants came from 18 countries in thehemisphere. The workshop provided anopportunity for NGOs from the region, rep-resentatives of multilateral institutions,Afro-descendant legislators, local govern-ment officials, and health administrators todebate and formulate strategies for the future.

U.S. ambassador to Honduras LarryPalmer pointed out ways in which inter-national cooperation could complementlocal development projects in Afro-descendant communities in LatinAmerica. In addition, he gave an accountof his personal experience as an African-American in the Latin Americancountries he has served, and drew conclu-sions about the societal conditions thatcharacterize race relations both in theUnited States and in Latin America.Costa Rican congresswoman EpsyCampbell noted the importance of theFirst Meeting of Afro-DescendantLegislators of the Americas that tookplace in Brasilia in November 2003, andsummarized the efforts to form an Afro-descendant Parliament of the Americas.Edgar Torres, vice president of the Houseof Representatives of Colombia, spoketo the group about the mobilization ofAfro-descendant legislators and con-firmed plans to hold the second meetingin Bogotá, Colombia.

As part of the workshop, participants vis-ited the Garífuna communities of Corozaland Ensenada to learn about local develop-ment projects in eco-tourism and health.

In the closing ceremony, PresidentMaduro commended the efforts that ledto the meeting and announced that hewould create a high-level commissiondedicated to improving the living condi-tions of Afro-descendant Hondurans.

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The Inter-American Dialogue is the premier center for policy analysis andexchange on Western Hemisphere affairs. The Dialogue’s select member-ship of 100 distinguished private citizens from throughout the Americasincludes political, business, academic, media, and other nongovernmentalleaders. Nine Dialogue members served as presidents of their countriesand more than a dozen have served at the cabinet level.

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